A minute silence will be observed, and various other activities will take place as the Reds face Wigan Athletic at Oakwell tomorrow.
Barnsley Football Club will honour those that lost their lives at war ahead of our game with Wigan Athletic on Saturday 19th November.We are kindly asking all supporters attending the game against game against Wigan Athletic, our chosen remembrance fixture at Oakwell, to join us as we pay our respects to all members of our Armed Forces who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
Ahead of kick-off we will be remembering and honouring all of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice - those who have served in the past and those who continue to fight today to maintain our freedom. Players and officials will emerge from the tunnel slightly earlier than normal before a minute silence is observed. Ahead of the minute silence, we will also hear a live rendition of 'The Last Post', performed by local Reds fan John Hopkinson from the Worsbrough Brass Band.
The weekend also marks 100 years since the end of the Battle of the Somme. Fought over 141 days between 1 July and 18 November 1916, the Battle of the Somme was one of the defining battles of the First World War. With over 400,000 British casualties and over 1 million men of all nationalities killed, the Somme remains one of the most brutal individual battles ever fought.
One hundred years on, the Battle of the Somme is being remembered across the country as part of the official First World War Centenary commemorations of which the EFL is proud to play its part by marking the centenary of the Battle of the Somme’s end this weekend.
Sadly, many players, staff and fans of EFL clubs were killed at the Somme, 1,000 whom fought for the Footballers Batallions which included many of the great stars of the day and some of those who would go on to achieve great footballing feats in the post-war era.
In recent weeks, EFL clubs and the communities in which they are embedded have been paying tribute to those who lost their lives. Across all of the 72 member clubs between 12-19 November, minutes silences have been accompanied by EFL wreath being laid on the pitch prior to kick-off to remember and honour all of those that have fallen in battle.
In addition to the above activities, we have also produced a special Remembrance edition matchday programme which has various features on the Battle of the Somme, as well as a more exclusive features. Click here for more information on tomorrow's special edition of BE RED.
The players will also show their support to this year’s Poppy Appeal by playing in a special edition home shirt featuring a distinctive red poppy printed on the front. Barnsley fans will have the unique opportunity to bid for the players’ match-worn shirts online via Sky Bet's official eBay page. Each shirt will also be signed by the respective player. 100% of the money raised from the shirt auctions will be donated directly to the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal. The game will also be played with a limited edition Poppy ball, which will also be signed and auctioned after the game.
The special edition poppy shirts and ball will be listed online after the Wigan Athletic game and fans will be able to bid by clicking here.
The money raised through the auction will help to maintain the fantastic work of the British Legion, an organisation who support members of the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, veterans and their families all year round.
The Royal British Legion helps the whole Armed Forces community through welfare, comradeship and representation as well as being the Nation's custodian of Remembrance. The charity has been campaigning to further the cause of serving personnel, ex-Service men and women and their families since 1921, and is a benevolent charity giving help to those most in need. The Legion created the Poppy Appeal to help those returning from the First World War. More than a century on from the midst of that conflict, they're still helping today's Armed Forces families in much the same way, whether coping with bereavement, living with disability, or finding employment.
Lest We Forget.
